Boeing Tests New In-flight Wi-Fi Tech On Spuds

Plane manufacturer Boeing has decided to test ts new in-flight Wi-Fi systems on sacks of potatoes instead of humans.

300 passengers on-board its jets

20,000lbs of potatoes

absorb radio wave signals

Plane manufacturer Boeing has decided to test ts new in-flight Wi-Fi systems on sacks of potatoes instead of humans.

Boeing wanted to test the required signal strength and configurations necessary to make reliable Wi-Fi available to around 300 passengers on-board its jets. Instead of hiring people as subjects though, the company brought in 20,000lbs of potatoes and dumped them in seats.

According to Boeing, the potatoes reflect and absorb radio wave signals in the same ways as more expensive humans and were the ideal subjects for its latest rounds of tests. It opted for spuds instead of good old humans because using humans would have required them to sit motionless in test planes for days on end while the data was gathered and of course their much more expensive.

The company said the testing process, made much shorter thanks to the potatoes, will enable it to provide consistent Wi-Fi speeds and signals, while travelling at 35,000ft and 500mph. Boeing's new methods will offer more reliable connectivity while ensuring that the Wi-Fi signal and device usage does not interfere with the critical systems on the aircraft.

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